Masisi in the lead

Indications are that Vice President, Mokgweetsi Masisi is leading the race for the most contested position in the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) Executive committee.

A late comer into the race,Masisi has already overtaken other contenders to place himself in pole position for the Chairmanship of the ruling party.

A highly placed source close to the Vice Presidency and the BDP’s top brass has revealed that Masisi is just waiting for the elective congress to be held in Mmadinare in July to snatch the title.

The source contends that Masisi’s main advantage is that he needs no introduction to the delegates as he is the most senior person challenging for the position.

He however acknowledged that his win won’t be a walk in park as there are two strong contenders to the race being Tebelelo Seretse and Ramadeluka Seretse.

Others in the race are Biggie Butale, Moemedi Dijeng and Dithapelo Tshotego.

Already Masisi has travelled the length and breadth of the country canvassing for votes.

This past weekend our source tells us that, the VP was in Ghanzi region where he was endorsed as the preferred candidate.

Ghanzi has two constituencies, East and West and they have both pledged their support for Masisi.

The VP also has the full backing of all the constituencies in the South except for Molepolole North where former BDP Chairman Daniel Kwelagobe is rooting for Tebelelo Seretse.

In the Central district he has the full support of both Members of Parliament and their councilors.

The Central district has nine constituencies. In the Kgatleng District, Education Minister Unity Dow has already declared that the two constituencies will rally behind Masisi.

She called Masisi a ‘friend’ at a rally held in Mochudi recently.

Masisi himself did give his audience a hint that he is the next Botswana President and therefore, those who want to work with him should start showing their true support.

“I run the country, it is only fitting and proper to align yourselves with the right candidates who are in power,” he warned.

Should he lose the Chairmanship of the party he would have opened himself for a challenge in the next congress in 2019 where the BDP will for the first time have elections for the party presidency being contested.

Masisi first tried his luck for a parliamentary seat in 2004 and lost the primary elections to the late Maitshoko Mooka.

He later won both the primary elections at national elections for Moshupa.

He won convincingly with a huge margin in the hotly contested 2014 parliamentary elections. He was then appointed Botswana’s Vice President.